Federal Government has on Tuesday refuted claims by the United States of America that the country engages in violations of religious freedom, insisting that both Christians and Muslims are victims of terrorism in the country.
According to DailyPost, Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture, made the remark in a statement on Tuesday.
US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo on Monday announced that the country blacklisted Nigeria over religious violence and lack of freedom.
Pompeo said the United States designated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 for religious freedom, for engaging “systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom”.
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However, Mohammed described the allegation as a case of honest disagreement between the two nations on the causes of violence in Nigeria.
In the statement signed by his Media Aide, Segun Adeyemi, the Minister said;
Nigeria does not engage in religious freedom violation, neither does it have a policy of religious persecution. Victims of insecurity and terrorism in the country are adherents of Christianity, Islam and other religions.
Mohammed stated that Nigeria “jealously protects religious freedom as enshrined in the country’s constitution and takes seriously any infringements in this regard”.
